If Indian diplomat Devyani Khobragade was Pakistani, she would be doomed

Indians protest outside the US Embassy in New Delhi against Devyani Khobragade's arrest. PHOTO: REUTERS

Devyani Khobragade is one lucky, lucky lady.

To say that about someone who is possibly facing 10 years in prison and was arrested publicly in front of her daughter’s school over visa fraud, is a bit of a stretch, but hear me out.

Khobragade, 39, is an Indian diplomat living in the United States. She is the deputy consul general in New York and currently out on bail.

She is someone Pakistani diplomats should be jealous of.

Not because she allegedly made USD100, 000 per year. Not because she gets to live in New York. But because as soon as she was publicly humiliated by Uncle Sam, the entire Indian bureaucratic community stood by her and showed an impressive amount of defiance to the most powerful country in the world.

Last week, Khobragade was handcuffed and charged with visa fraud. She has also been accused to have underpaid her housemaid. She was stripped and cavity searched and was set in detention with drug addicts.

Somewhere in the distance I can hear Amir Khan frantically scribbling down a script.

Post the Khobragade arrest, the Indian diplomatic community went on a garish lock-down. They were firm and their reactions were pointedly retaliatory to the misconduct.

You cannot treat our diplomats like crap and get away with it, the Indian reaction stated.

The statement was heard loud and clear.

The home minister, vice president, speaker of the parliament, leader of the opposition and national security advisor – all refused to meet the US congressional delegation as a reaction. The concrete barriers in front of the US Embassy in Delhi were removed.

On the other hand, the US State Department issued its statement that diplomatic security had followed standard procedures during the arrest.

The Indian government insisted that it had diplomatic immunity and was publicly humiliated by law enforcement agencies.

The American government heard the message and responded as nicely as it could, given the circumstances. They stated that they would ‘review the arrest’ and understand that it is a ‘sensitive issue for many in India’.

Whether or not Khobragade’s housemaid was employed well under the US minimum wage, whether or not the documents were false, one thing is for sure, India knows that it is next in line to become a global superpower and it will not let anyone forget it.

With an impressive economic growth chart over the last 10 years and a powerful population of 1.2 billion, India is not going to take a leaf out of Pakistan’s book and let America do as it pleases with citizens of a weaker country.

If Devyani Khobargade was a Pakistani, she would either have had to sit in jail and face the sentence or Pakistan would have attempted back-door deals with the US or a compromise brokered by Saudi Arabia. Or worse, if Devyani was stepping on the wrong toes back home, Pakistan would have abandoned their diplomat to her fate and called her a ‘bad seed’.

Unlike the defiance shown by India, our stance would be:

“Please let her go. We promise we will not do it again. Here, want a new area for drone strikes? Come, we have plenty.”

The narrative between India and the United States and Pakistan and the United States is as different as it can possibly be. While India acknowledges and engages in the power that America has, Pakistan fears and serves the American system.

Just like we Pakistanis are gradually losing the ability to think for ourselves, we are also losing the ability to fend for ourselves. Whether it is drone strikes or Osama bin Laden, we have only sputtered half-hearted cries in protest when Americans cross our lines. Our diplomats know and act from the position of subordination. So do our politicians.

With such fear at hand, Pakistan is in no place to fight, protest or even take intense and credible actions against American blights. In a frighteningly literal sense, the Americans are getting away with murder in Pakistan.

It seems that the international rule book of foreign policy and conventions in pretty Swiss backgrounds have no meaning in real life. Laws and reasons behind protecting a country’s sovereignty, providing humane treatment to international criminals, not invading a country’s airspace – all fail to materialise in a relationship that is precariously harboured between Pakistan and the United States.

Today (irrespective of who is right or wrong in the Devyani Khobragade case) India showed that the relationship between India and the United States is not one of craven submission or fear. But if Pak-US relations were to be defined, the only name that could possibly be given is…

Thanks for the eye-opener. A frank INDIAN opinion is always a welcome read on these pages. And regards from Pakistan.Recommend

water bottle

well madam, a few points to note here.

1) Perhaps USA would not have treated the embassy officials of any other European country like they treated this lady.

2) I am certain that USA would not have subjected anyone from Muslim country to such invasive treatment.

3) Without a doubt there is a bigger picture behind what we are seeing. We may or may never know what that is.

4) India while defending the diplomat has not made anything to protect or understand the position of the servant.

5) There seems to be a bigger politics behind the maid also. Something which is not being explained properly in the media

6) The way US treated us also shows that it respects India none. India is just another third world country in USA’s eyes.

7) The lady’s father is in politics and also a former IFS. (there is rampant corruption and nepotism in Indian civil services, but that’s another topic to discuss) and is associated with the Congress party. How much has this factor played into the whole drama, I don’t know but, anyone can see a connection.Recommend

anon

Unless she was falsely accused, what you say Indian state machinery did is shameful. If you want to emulate or praise, pick some better example. She probably is powerful or knows powerful people so she could get some backing. Fear not, if she had been poor Indian, India would not have done anything.Recommend

aaaaa

and if pakistan were india we’d be in much better shape all round. comparisons devoid of context are always quite silly.Recommend

Frankly India seems to have over-reacted because of election season. The diplomat in question, is linked to a scam in Mumbai as well, and doesn’t appear to be innocent. She does not enjoy diplomatic immunity and had no business submitting fake visa documents. Powerful Indians bend the rules in India and think they can get away elsewhere as well. To be fair, the U.S. takes its laws more seriously then India does its own and position or status is no guarantee to immunity. Even the IMF chief was arrested on a case of sexual harassment on a complaint by a hotel maid. So India should investigate if she has indeed broken US law & come up with a measured response rather then protesting too loudly.Recommend

Sheikha

well our mullahs and the common man would have hit the street in protests, but our secular liberals would have whined and complained and mocked this ghairat-brigade for behaving like such uncouths, coming up with all sorts of excuses to explain the US behaviour. Dont forget in the aftermath of the Ray Davis incident there were some very well known liberals and twitter-based anchors who wrote op-eds for ET defending Ray Davis rights under Vienna Convention and reprimanding Pakistani’s for the overdramatic reaction over the killings of three civillians. One only has to go back to ET archives to find out who these so called human rights activists are.Recommend

grandmasti

But I see lots of pakistanis r happy about humiliation meted out to Indians..Just visit times page and read their comments..Not to mention this is the same america who doomed pakistan for their personal gain..AS far as India is concerned India is independent sovereign country.. US thinks India would be their permanent ally like britain,japan,korea..They r dreaming perhaps..They can arrest her and jail her as she was on fault..Actually I would like to say, we as an Indian were at fault coz our govt in a way supported her forgery.But barbarism of this kind,certainly she doesnt deserve.US as a nation is racist country, devoid of humanity .They can stoop to any low to achieve their ambition.But US should keep that in mind that as a sovereign nation we would also like to go through our law and procedures in case any of their consulates or agents r caught in unlawful activities.Recommend

Lala Gee

@Author:

Comparing India with Pakistan in this particular case is neither the right choice nor fair. Pakistan is a much smaller country than India in almost every thing, e.g. population, area, resources, economy, etc. Unfortunately, the events of the past decade have further weakened the position of Pakistan in the international community. Why not to compare India with China, or even with UK, Germany, France, and Russia. Do you think USA would have dared to treat their diplomats the same way they treated Indian diplomat (several times strip searching, cavity searching, and handcuffing, and finally locking her up with criminals). The question is not how India reacted, the real question is how USA took Indian diplomat for granted. Had India had any considerable clout or importance in the eyes of the US administration, they would never have done that. US’s approach towards India is more or less like of Pakistan, hardly any better, and I can bet on that. They know India needs them much much more than they need India. This is the reality, and we both countries have to live with that.Recommend

Shail Arora

“India knows that it is next in line to become a global superpower and it will not let anyone forget it.”
I’m an Indian and think that this is a bit of an over-statement. While you may not see through it, but we see the whole politics of India government (Congress) behind this bold confrontation. We are nearing Lok Sabha elections (May 2014) and Congress is on the verge of getting decimated. This was just an attempt to save themselves from further falling from grace and showing that they are a strong party. Had it been 2-3 years prior to general elections, the government would’ve reacted very differently.Recommend

shah

India doesn’t live on US aid unlike Pakistan. That gives India options against the US. In this Khobgarde case however the Indian government is acting more out of pride and hurt egos rather than protecting an innocent diplomat. Pakistan loves to bite the American hand that feeds it so its confrontations with the US always end in failure.Recommend

COLVINOD

A very analytically correct article. But I wonder if this will be taken in correct spirits in Pakistan.The introduction to the writer says ” A clinical psychologist and movie buff, hopping countries with her son and husband. Permanently in a state of flux.” this sums up the approach and tone of the article. Enlightened Pakistanis, all over the world, are aware of the facts about Pakistan and are not influenced by the propaganda and distortion of history that has completely influenced and guided the thinking of the present generation of youth of Pakistan. The youth of Pakistan have been trained to believe that in every aspect Pakistan and they are equal/better than India and the national aim is to defeat India in every aspect of life. Some propogate that Khuda has chosen Pakistan to rule the world.The nuclear and arms race, seeking parity with India in every field and the quantum of armed forces are demonstrated as as great achievement. People are encouraged to suffer hunger, lack of education, sanitation and medicines and economic depravity to compete with India in muscle power. Unfortunately as long the hard facts of global rules are taught and understood in Pakistan things will not improve. The fact is that India does not do things and try to flex muscle in competition to Pakistan or to slight Pakistan it is the natural aspirations of second largest democracy and it’s young population to seek its rightful place on the globRecommend

JAYADEVAN

Sir, It is not only the bureaucratic community. It is entire nation is behind her. More than 100 billion people are behind her. This is not an exaggeration. Also we never expected this from US.Recommend

Arooj Ahmed

India knows how to make others respect her citizens.

But backing someone on wrong doings… Um um… That’s not good… Not good for her own citizens either…Recommend

varuag

International relations are pure power play. The diplomats are at the mercy of their respective nations despite the Vienna convention. Unanimity in national opinion is crucial, but it should not degenerate to chauvinism. India has a fair share of perpetual anti-US entities and they seem to be having a field day ( SFI in the picture is a case in point )

Ultimately, both Devyani and Sangeetha are Indian nationals and the critical aspect is that justice has to be done (and to be seen as done). Had US extended the usual diplomatic niceties, most Indians would have supported the other Indian lady in question but alas, the faux pas of Bharara/Biswal et al swinged opinion. Rather It was rather amusing to see the State Dept., Attorney General, Marshals resort to the subcontinental tendency of institutions passing buck.

It also boils down to the salience of “strategic autonomy” in the Indian Foreign Policy. I mean the author has alluded to delusions of superpower ambitions but most Indians are pragmatic enough not to drink the Kool-Aid.Recommend

sheikha

well our mullahs and the common man would have hit the street in protests, but our secular liberals would have whined and complained and mocked this ghairat-brigade for behaving like such uncouths, coming up with all sorts of excuses to explain the US behaviour. Dont forget in the aftermath of the Ray Davis incident there were some very well known liberals and twitter-based anchors who wrote op-eds for ET defending Ray Davis rights under Vienna Convention and reprimanding Pakistani’s for the over dramatic reaction over the killings of three civilians. One only has to go back to ET archives to find out who these so called human rights activists are.Recommend

Tyron Lannister

It still pains me deeply to know that Victims of Bhopal tragedy didnt get justice, Mr Anderson (CEO of Union carbide ) didnt prosecuted and Americans covertly sneaked him out of India. well then it was different India then. Today we are confident enough to face the world, we believe we have far better reach interms, poiltically, economically, militarily. We may not as prominent as other big 4, neither we are far behind. The world has changed real fast, so is the political ecosystem. remember, every Great empire (Greeks, romans, mongols, anglo saxons, persians ) vanished over a period of time, so will be USA. Everything has a expiry date #lifelessonRecommend

Aamna Hassan Fasihi

”The home minister, vice president, speaker of the parliament, leader
of the opposition and national security advisor – all refused to meet
the US congressional delegation as a reaction. The concrete barriers in
front of the US Embassy in Delhi were removed.”
Yet, when Nawaz Sharif was on US tour, despite a drone attack in Pakistani territory, Pakistani delegation could not even postpone the meetings with US officials.

”The narrative between India and the United States and Pakistan and
the United States is as different as it can possibly be. While India
acknowledges and engages in the power that America has, Pakistan fears
and serves the American system.”
Just as Imran Khan puts in ”I have lived in West, even married a Western woman. I know their psyche. If you hold your self-esteem high, they honor you more. If you lick their feet, they despise you even more. We are being SLAVES of US, FRIENDS is what India is being to US. Just look at how US treats us and the way US treats India”.

The Americans are very clever.The Maid was paid a princely sum of Rupees 30,000/- per month in India along with Free boarding and lodging inside the house of the diplomat which is normal to almost all Asian and African diplomats. But from what it transpires that the family of the Maid was being used as a Intelligence asset by USA and a case was registered against the maid 3 months back when she dissappered in USA and India revoked her passport. This made the uSA to sit up and they whisked the family of the maid with visa within one week while it normally takes 3months.Now the entire US media is talking abou thuman rights and how the maid was exploited etc while.The Americans in Delhi pay much below this rate in delhi to their Indian workers and drivers while they pay the Americans atleast 4 times more. If US embassy in Delhi is extrention of USA, then it should pay the minimum wage to Indians.Unfortunately our MEA is now headed by Hussxein Haqqani of India who is mouthing all platitudes and it is low level Babus who revolted.Recommend

shah

been watching too much Game of Thrones ? US is not disappearing anytime soon.Recommend

just_someone

Do you actually know the case? The facts? This lady was committing slavery in the US by paying less than a couple of bucks an hour to her live in Indian maid when the minimum in NYC is 7.5 ish. The american government went into action to protect an innocent INDIAN from an INDIAN. This diplomat lady doesnt deny the charges officially, shes claiming diplomatic immunity which shows that there is sufficient evidence for her to be locked up. in fact, apparently she was warned about this and she refused to heed to the warnings.
Adding to the beauty of this, the arrest order came from an Indian-American who has repeatedly said that civil liberties of any countries citizen need to be protected.
This diplomat deserves to rot in jail. The indian government is being very immature trying to justify the wrong of a person.
As far as her treatment, if you know anything about American law (which obviously you dont), youll know that everything was done strictly by the book. She was committed into prison and standard protocol is to do a strip search for the safety of the other inmates.

This is a country where it doesnt matter who you are, the law is the law and it is followed. This lady is not allowed to come in here and break the rules, it doesnt matter which official position she holds.

I know this is an alien concept to pakistanis and indians but that is how things are done here. your crying about it isnt going to make america change her principles.Recommend

Rick davis

There is something fundamentally wrong in the world when a clinical Psychologist supports the behavior of the government in backing up it’s citizen for slavery and fraud charges!!Recommend

Tyron Lannister

If i have the right to chose my name myself, I would Chose Tyron (dont mind being Imp )…so yes, I am die hard fan of GOT..u have a problem with that.. on a serious note… i never its happening right now..but eventually will. with its ballooning debt, and uncontrolled dollar printing..these are meant to happen. these are based on evolution theory, Recommend

Tyron Lannister

If equating India and pakistan as equals can give you better sleep, Then I fully with you brotha ! Have a tight sleep ! :)Recommend

water bottle

for once, I agree with you sir.

India is neither a superpower nor is it becoming one.

If anything India is a functioning yet failed state.

The corporate propaganda, has unfortunately, blinded the rich/upper middle class people in believing that India is a powerhouse.

The truth is, India is a casteist, racist, elitist, feudalist, classist society. all these factors are largely present everywhere, some places more, some places less.

exactly. thank you!
even uneducated indians should respect that one of their own citizens was in bonded slavery and that she was protected, let alone a clinical psy. but somehow emotions have won the day.
i suspect there is some element of the caste system stuff here as well. the maid must have been from a lowest caste and hence its considered ok to treat them poorly. sadly that is a reality in india…Recommend

water bottle

That’s an interesting take on it.

I thought there was some politics behind it. You are giving it an espionage twist.

Do you have any sources to support your claim, sir? Perhaps you have some diplomatic links?Recommend

MJ

US should be more careful when dealing with Indians. The Indians have all of their phone numbers and credit card information.Recommend

grandmasti

Adarsh scam or for that matter indias internal matter none of US,s business ..Recommend

Vivek

The issue is not of condoning any misdemeanour on the part of a consulate officer. The issue is whether US has followed global convention on the method of dealing with a consulate officer. It has earlier shown helplessness in arresting terrorism suspects on ground of their having diplomatic immunity. Here, they handcuff a lady and subject her to cavity strip searches. On grounds of having underpaid her maid??? Then do the same to the CEOs of the companies illegally employing Mexicans, Indians and Hispanics. The USA does not have the guts to bring to justice the perpetrators of the massive financial frauds. In those cases, deals are struck with the companies to the tune of a mere few hundred million / or a billion dollars, and the people concerned are set off free. Talk of blood money. How more third world can you get? Even their henchmen are charlatans. Mr Bharara says disingenuously, that she was not handcuffed in front of her children. But does not clarify if she was handcuffed or not? In public? Whether it was necessary? Would being handcuffed in front of your children’s friends make it any less painful? And was the USA correct in handcuffing her? In stripping her? In cavity searching her? Was it going as per international treaties and conventions?
Would Bharara have the spine to do the same with Biggest Brother – the dragon who holds USA’s puppet strings?Recommend

Arjun

But why do we need US? I do not even get India’s mentality here. Here in Asia China is the supreme power and US can do nothing if China opposes it. US is no real help to India.

We should instead focus on China-India relationship. Not lick their feet like our politicians do with the West but engage with China. I think Modi is the man for this work. He has visited China for investment in his state Gujarat.

Also, I think we should stop projecting ourselves as would be super-power. This is seriously so lame. I do not even understand why do we need to even aim for it. What have all the super-powers in the world achieved other than wars and bloodshed?

Instead we should be very clear in our stance that we are a threat to no one, and no one is a threat to us. Once, the govt understands that we do not need US, things will fall in place. Let us instead figure out deployment of troops and strengthening of our borders and solving internal issues.Recommend

JAYADEVAN

Just_Someone…It seems to me you are the real alien. How much you are paying to locals working in your embassy. Mind it they are working in US territory….Are you paying US minimum wages to those locals…Your own congress committee admitted you are not treating those locals properly…Not even yearly increment when your american brothers are getting fat checks. ALSO DONT FORGET THIS MAID’S FATHER-IN-LAW IS THE DRIVER OF A SENIOR US DELHI EMBASSY OFFICER.Recommend

JAYADEVAN

IF I AM NOT WRONG (AS PER LOCAL NEWS PAPERS), THIS INDIAN DIPLOMAT’S HUSBAND IS A PAKISTANI !!!!!
THE MAID IS FROM MY PROVINCE IN INDIA (KERALA).Recommend

Banana Republic

To all those biased minded. Read carefully, India is not defending the diplomat for her crimes. They are protesting against the treatment done to a diplomat. Those who live in fools paradise will think that diplomats from other nations do not commit any frauds. Irrespective of the crime committed the diplomatic community has certain privileges and these privileges are shared with sense of equality.
I deplore the act of fraud by the diplomat, but would have expected USA to treat her the same manner as they would expect their diplomats to be treated. Have you ever heard an American diplomat punished in foreign nation for the crimes they commit ?Recommend

RD

yeah… but US as a sole super power has indeed disappeared. US as a powerful country amongst other powerful countries may certainly survive a few hundred years. There is a difference in how you project yourself between the two states – sole superpower vs. one of the powersRecommend

DT

Absolutely. It’s a matter of principle. Now if you would, you might want to explain these:

There is something fundamentally wrong with a nation talking of human rights when it can not protect its own citizens from humiliating cavity searches at the hands of marshals. There are better ways to check like they do at airports.Recommend

Jadoon

Well written !

We as Pakistanis are becoming increasingly apologetic of our very own existence. We have started to question everything Pakistani. We question our Muslim heritage, 1947, 1965, 1971 and the events afterwards. In these circumstances, we are in awe of all the other nations.Recommend

Polar Bear

Pakistan is a much smaller country than India — The realization is a step in the right direction.Recommend

Ajay

Well Done Author Mahwash Badar,

Friends,

US will not consider any nation as friend never, they wants profit from every nation and they are trying their moves for it.

And of-course US will make bloody cheat plays if any other nation is developing better than it in any means – economically, military or like… say like China, India…etc

So at-least at this stage we Indians and Pakistani friends must understand our unity is much needed protest against cheap plays of US.

Common INDIA-PAK friends.. we can unite our minds for a brilliant aim!Recommend

Flora

She might have invited special attention by US, because I hear that her husband is a Pakistan national! Is this true?Recommend

Any just another or someone appears to be an expert on caste!! The maid as a Christian may well be of higher ‘caste’ as compared to her employer who by birth belongs to the lowly scheduled caste, but well educated. Her low caste father also was a top civil servant bossing over upper caste subordinates. (he is now retired). Things have changed so much that in Urban-Gujarat for example it is common for a well-off but lower caste folk to engage Brahmin cooks to serve the families..It’s money, education & position that really matters though in places old habits die hard.Recommend

SGJ007

If US is so law abiding nation then what about Ray. Davis ,Anderson (Bhopal gas case), innocent civilians killed under drone attack ,Guawtemao bay prison and so on .Recommend

naive

What caste system you are talking about? The Diplomat is a Dalit, lowest in the caste hierarchy and the maid is a Christian the second most affluent community in India.Recommend

Its Tyrion,….you are not as big a fan as you think…also US can pay its debt its not a bankrupt country like Ireland or Greece. Every country prints its currency.Recommend

saj

firstly, 30000 is around 500$, its nothing, secondly, just because its common amongst african and asian diplomats, doesnt make it right, thirdly, why would they have a maid as an intelligence asset on low level consulate employee when asian and african diplomats can be bought easily, what ‘intelligence’ and how reliable will it be?, fourthly americans in delhi employing indians in delhi will pay at the delhi rate, and pay americans in delhi at US levels, that makes sense, if we were an OECD country, which we have no hope of becoming, then this disparity wouldnt be so high for you to understand it. Your creating sensationalistic angles that do not exist. Because everything in south asia is bollywood style – overrated, rubbish, with no touch of reality, creating conspiracies because you refuse to look at the truth plain and simple.Recommend

Kartz

As India’s Foreign minister Salman Khurshid said in the Parliament, “It is no longer about an individual, it is about our sense of self as a nation and our place in the world,”Recommend

SK

I salute India for standing up for its citizen against Uncle Sam. I completely agree with the blogger had the incident involved a Pakistani diplomat we would be licking Uncle Sam’s feet , apologizing and asking forgiveness. Shame to our politicians for ransoming the nations dignity.Recommend

Kartz

Its apparent from this episode that India’s foreign policy is no longer done in the traditional way, but rather dictated by the pressure of public opinion created by the media. Any party that ignores this basic fact is doomed. The new generation of Indians are extremely nationalistic despite their differences and squabbling at home.Recommend

Nikki

Pakistani are vey law abiding in abroad, she/he could not do that malign practice.Recommend

http://www.captainjohann.blogspot.com/ captainjohann samuhanand

The Nanny in question agreed with the rupees 30,000/- pay check which is substantial in India as is paid in India into her account. She is given free boarding and lodging in the premises of the diplomat which is common practice. she also gets free medical treatment and free air passage. Now coming to the case. she had an offcila passport but wanted it to change in June of this year. As the diplomat did not agree, she just vanished. Now a case was registered in India against the maid after her official passport was revoked. This was informed to US authorities whose behaviour later becomes curiouser.They “” evacuate”" the husband and children of the diplomat to USA to save them from from Indian law. When did USA has taken the right of “evacuating” Indian citizens facing Indian law from India?You can answer the question with your own logic and now the media orchestred”save nanay” camapign in USA shows the hand of ????Recommend

Shail Arora

I wouldn’t generalize it for all political parties though. With traditional parties (especially Congress & BJP), it only happens when the elections are near, as is the case now, or dictated by a selected few (perhaps, big corporates). I do hope that with emergence of parties like AAP, who appear to believe in virtues of swaraj, it might be a possibility. But that remains to be seen.Recommend

Shail Arora

Ok, so let’s sensationalize this further… US tried to target a Muslim (Pakistani husband) through her Hindu wife to defend a Christian maid. And the plot thickens.Recommend

Kartz

There are reports that US diplomats have violated Indian laws in India. For example the spouses of diplomatic staff have worked in schools without a work permit. Of course gay partners of diplomats could be sent back home. But India could inflict the maximum penalty for this episode by cancelling the $15 billion aircraft deal. There are European and Russian alternatives waiting to grab it anyway. India had voluntarily given them immunity irrespective of whether they are consular or diplomatic staff. This has been revoked now and the offenders can be pursued retrospectively if needed. India is in a “waiting” mode to see how things shape up in the Kobragade case. Retaliatory action could be taken later on if Indian requests are ignored.Recommend

Kartz

Kobragade’s indictment in the Adarsh scam in India is extraneous to this ongoing issue between India and US. In the context of this dispute, she isn’t just another individual, but she represents the whole of India, its sovereignty and her dignity is linked to India’s dignity at the international stage. So this cannot be treated like just another case. Even in the worst diplomatic disputes where consular staff were caught spying, its accepted international practice that the individual be declared persona non grata and sent back home. Publicly hand-cuffing and strip/cavity search was done with deliberate mala fide intentions. There can be no two ways about it.Recommend

Kartz

India’s foreign minister Salman Khurshid said the treatment meted out to Khobragade had “not happened out of blue” and there is a “history” behind it. Obviously everyone knows that India’s foreign ministry didn’t tow the American line in many cases over the last few years. There were a series of conflicts between India and the US in the World Trade Organisation. There were disagreements with respect to Indian purchase of Iranian oil during the Iran sanctions, and also with respect to Climate change commitments of every nation. These were mini flash points, but the Kobragade episode could also be viewed as a culmination of a series of frustrations for the US in relation to India’s “Independent” foreign policy. The US has tried to nudge India into becoming a proxy state like several other partners, which India has steadfastly refused.Recommend

balakrishnan

If you have nuclear icbms aiming at america you will get respect from us. If you are militarily weak and lacks political will then dont expect respect from even your tiny neighbors. Recommend

True, if you hold your self-esteem high, they honor you more, but you need to be rational and sensible more importantly, not religiously fanatic about self-esteem issues, that again fails and has failed as well !!!Recommend

Jajabar

Paki writer, stop misleading other Pakis. Devyyani did absolutely, categorically nothing wrong. She paid the maid EXACTLY what is stated in the mutually signed agreement. Which was STAPLED to Ms. Richard’s visa application. No other diplomat from any other country has EVER been cavity searched, even for allegations far graver than pay disputes, like rape and murder. There are bigger things going on behind this, which will come out eventually. She is an Indian national employed by an Indian diplomat working on Indian soil (Indian Embassy). Mr. Bharara is in for a rude shock.Recommend

tintin

what is the salary do you pay to your maid…and what is you salary…pray tell meRecommend

Daddy

hahaha..And this is coming from who, 10th failed state Pakistan having a society filled with religious fanatics blowing themselves every now and then. And a Pakistani who is ashamed of this identity and pretends to be an Indian or a Persian outside of Pakistan.
FYI, according to many reports including Goldman Sachs is it excepted than China will overtake US economy by 2025 and India will overtake China by 2050 becoming the worlds strongest country.
Stop blabbering about India and do something for Pakistan. Recommend

vinod

Well,I think Pakistan has really been the victor over USA than India,Let me put u through things where USA were most helpful to Pakistan
1) The fall of Bangladesh,No war crimes tribunal from united nations.
2) Kargil war they pushed India for cease fire.
3) Mumbai attacks they restrained India from aggression.
4) Nuclear arms to Iran,Korea,Libya they supported Pakistan.
just imagine if This would have been India, we would have been Doomed.Recommend

Dante

So, the bottomline is that you should probably go back to your motherland America. Another of those classic Pakistan bashing articles. The country where we were all born (or at least the ancestors were), they or us were educated and now we are enjoying a life of elite status and freedom only to throw back stinging sinister remarks.

You want to improve Pakistan? Bashing it on Tribune won’t achieve a ding. Get out into the real world and offer help to the people who belong to the not-so-privileged sector.Recommend

Dante

I would absolutely love for India to cancel that deal and go for the European counterparts. That would be a REAL sting – BusinessRecommend

If this guy wants to fantasize about India replacing the US as a super power, let him. Dreaming bigger than big is not always a bad thing.Recommend

Nobody

Agreed, but one correction….Minimum wage is NYC is actually $9.75. It is higher than the national average as it is one of the most expensive cities to live in in the US. So the maid was being paid 3 times less than minimum wage.Recommend

Nobody

Apparently they don’t get punished in India either mate. They were openly engaging in behavior otherwise prohibited in India and India turned a blind eye. The only reason they retracted these “privileges” now is out of childish retaliation. This reaction is being laughed at, not lauded here in the US.Recommend

Nobody

She still broke the law mate. A contract or agreement of an illegal nature is NULL AND VOID in the US. It doesn’t matter if the maid agreed to it or signed a contract. The junior diplomat underpaying her is still A CRIME. So yes, Devyyani DID do something wrong in the eyes of the law. As far as no other diplomat undergoing a cavity search, perhaps because they are granted immunity and Devyyani is NOT a diplomat with immunity. Anything outside the scope of her job does not warrant diplomatic immunity.
I think she expected special treatment and didn’t get it.Recommend

Imran Khan nor his supporters are ‘religious fanatics’. We are just ‘moderate’ people. Just because we oppose some people in Pakistan who think everything that US says or does, is liberal, doesn’t mean we are religious zealots. Besides, about the ‘Talks with TTP’ issue, Imran Khan suggests that because Pakistan’s economy cannot afford it.Recommend

whitesky

there is something which is being concealed/. It is the US embassy in New Delhi which granted visa to the husband and two children of the maid within 3 days and also paid the air fare ( booked tickets for them at the expenses of US embassy ) arranged the air ticket . the tickets have been exempted for the tax too( permissible for the embassy’s american employee only). Why they have been sent to US hurriedly ?. Does it look like the case of underpayment of wages to the nanny ?.Are the US embassy diplomats are so sympathetic to non american employee of other countries that they go out of the norms. the whole story can not be taken on the face value. something is quite fussy in it. The Indian diplomat is not there as an individual Indian but a diplomat which deserves immunity from the US law.Recommend

http://www.captainjohann.blogspot.com/ captainjohann samuhanand

I get a pension of rupees 24,414/- per month with DA and aother allowances and I get a total of rupees 32,000/- per month. I pay rupees 3000/- to my maid which is what normally they are paid as they work in 5 or 6 houses.Recommend